Number indicating device



Aus 22, 1944. Q s. A. MESCH- 2,356,335

Filed June 26, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l o. s. A. Misc/'1' AHORA/Er Aug. 22, 1944. o. s. A. MEscH l NUMBER IVNDICATING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Filed June 26. 1942 /NVEATOR 0. 5. A. MESC/' BV UQ WIM MM ATTORNEY l Aug. 22, 1944.

O. S. A. MESCH NUMBER INDICATING DEVICE Filed June 26, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1944 NUMBER'iNDIcATING DEVICE Orwar S. A. Mesch, St. Albans, N. Y., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York; N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 2c, 1942, serial No. 448,706

(ci. 11s-135) 7 Claims'.

This invention relates to number indicating devices and more particularly to double display number lindicating devices.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for temporarily recording and indicating to a telephone subscriber the number of a substation it is desired to call.

The invention provides means for simultaneously setting up the call number. of a desired substation at tWo points observable by theperson desiring to make the call,. one point vbeing for instance outside a telephone booth and the other inside the booth. VThe device 'eliminates the necessity of a subscriber having to mentally retain the number of the desired substation from the time the number is, found in a directory un til the call is made, or having tcwritc the number on a sheet of paper preparatory to making the call. A feature of the invention resides in the means provided for making a temporary record at two required points of the combinationof characters forming the number of Vthe substation it is desired to call.

Anotherfeature resides in means for masking the call number set up on the indicators at the two points required.

In the drawings: l

Fig. l is a top plan view of one form of the number indicating device and involving a set of manually operated slide-strips and a support for the slide-strips mounted on a Wall member which may be one ofthe Walls of a booth;

Fig. 2 is an end view, partly in section, of Fig. 1 and taken on the line 2 2;

Fig. 3 is a front view, in section, of the indicating device shown in Fig. 1 and taken on the line 3-3; v I

Fig. 4 shows another form of the invention involving a set of manually operated wheels and means supporting the Wheels mounted vertically in an aperturein the'wall of a booth, the Wheels bearing letter and number characters;

Fig 5 is a top plan View, partly in section, of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a View, in section,` of the upper portion of the device shown in Fig. 4 and taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5;'

Fig. 7 is a rear view of a portion of Fig. 4 and taken on the line 'I-1 in Fig'. 5; and

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 showstill another form of the invention involving VtWosets of wheels -supported in a casing which. is mountedvertically in an aperture in the Wall of a booth. Fig. 8

is taken from one side of the Wall of the booth,

Fig. 9 is partly in section and taken onthe line 9-9 of Fig. 8 and Fig. 10 is a View, partly in section, looking down on Fig. 9 and taken on the line I0-I0.

Telephone directories provided at a public telephone substation are in most instances located outside the telephonebocth. When a person desires to make a telephone call and does not know the number of the substation desired, reierence is had to the telephone directory to find the call number of the desired substation. After finding the number of the desired substation the subscriber must either Amentally retain the call number or make a written record of it. Writing equipment is not always available and in this case if the subscriber does not correctly remem-` ber the number a wrong ,number call .is made.

The number indicating devices, I have devised, provide means on which the subscriber while still outside the booth and while still in possession of the telephone directory may setup the number of the desired substation on a portion of the indicating device outside the booth 'and at the same time have the number also set up on a portion of the indicating device inside the booth. Means are also provided to mask the number set up onrthe indicating device to show that the indicating device is in use and prevent changing or casual observance of the number by someone other than the subscriber.

The number indicating device shown in Figs. `1, 2 and 3' comprises a rectangular box-like casing II extending through an aperture in the wall I2 of a telephone booth and so that one end portion I3, for instance, extends outside the telephone booth and the other end portion I4 extends inside the booth. A sleeve I5 of suitable form and dimensions to accommodate and support the central portion of the casing II is located in the aperture in the Wall I2 and is supported by means of angle bars I6-I6 secured to thesleeve I5 and Ymounted on the wall I2 by means of screws 4I'I or other suitable fastening means. It will be seen that the sleeve I5 extends a short distance on each side of the Wall I2 and encloses the central portion of the casing II. The casing II is provided with aslidin'g cover I8 apertured at I9 and which operates in grooves 20 `and 2I which as shown in Fig. 2 are formed in the side walls of the casing II. The cover I8 may be slid along the casing II by means of the handle 22 from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and so that the handlev 22 comes under the upwardly offset outer end 23 of the sleeve l5. The cover I8 will then be in such position that the inner end engages the end 24 of the casing II. In this position the aperture I9 is within the sleeve I5 and the unapertured end portions of the cover I8 overlie the number indicating portions of the device. Spaced tracks 25, 26, 21, 28, 29 and 38 are mounted on the upper surface of the lower wall of the casing II. The tracks are longitudinally grooved on their sides to provide slideways for long slidestrips 3I, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 31. rI'he slidestrips may be made of sheetmetal or other substantially stiff material and are slid along within the casing II and relative to columns of letters and numbers displayed on cards 38 and 39 which are mounted on and extend above the u pper side wall 40 of the casing II. The slidestrips 3|, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 31 are provided on one end with upturned tab portions 4I, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 41, respectively, and are provided on the other end with upturned tab portions 48, 49, 8, 5I, 52, Y53 and 54, respectively. The upper surface of the tracks 25, 26, 21, 28, 29 and 38 and the upper surface `of the lower wall of the cas, ing I I are scribed to provide marks 55 which are, in efect, continuations of the column dividing marks 56 formed on the cards 38 and 39 to aid a user of the device in optically observing the location to which the tabs on the slide-strips have been moved along the tracks.

In setting 11D a substation number to be called the user of the device, after finding the number in the telephone directory, moves the slide-strips along the tracks until the tab portions on the strips in the section I3 of the device are in the required columns to indicate the number it is desired to call. The slide-strips are of equal length and when the tab on one end of a strip is located in a required column, in section I3 of the device, the tab on the other end of that strip is in the corresponding column in the section I4 of the device.

In Fig. 1 the device has been operated to set up the substation call number, Chelsea 3-1000, tab 4I in section I3 being under the column con.- taining C, tab 42 in the column containing the letter H, tab 43 in the column containing the number k3, tab 44 in the column containing the number l and tabs 45, 46 and 41 in the column Containing zero. It Will be seen that the same number is indicated by the arrangement of the tabs 48 to 54 in section I4 of the device inside the telephone booth and that this display may be seen by the user of the device when he gets in the telephone booth and moves the slide cover I8 by means of the handle 51 to the position shown in Fig. 1, the handle 51 being accommodated in a cut-back portion 58 formed in the sleeve I5. The user of the device, before he goes into the telephone booth, may mask the number he has set up in section I3 of the device by sliding the cover I8 toward the left and until the handle 22 comes under the upwardly offset end 23 of the sleeve I5. This will prevent casual observance of the number he has set up on the .device by other persons and will indicate that `the device is in use. Since the handle 22 is under the offset v23 the `cover I8 cannot well be moved -from this position except by a person inside the booth and operating the cover I8 by means of the handle 51. When the user of the device gets into the booth he can move the cover I8 to the position shown in Figs. l and 3 so that he can see the number set up on the device. Another 'person outside the booth and Waiting to use the device may then proceed to operate the slidestrips to set up a number he desires to call.

The number indicating device shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '1 may be used for the same purpose as the one above described and may be mounted in an aperture provided in the Wall I2 of a booth so that it may be operated from outside the booth to set up indications of a substation number to be called and to indicate within the booth the same number set up on the portion of the device extending outside the booth. The device is mounted vertically in an aperture in the wall I2 of the booth and comprises a cylindrical casing 60 cooperatively formed by a portion 6I extending outside the booth and a portion 62 extending inside the booth. The portions 6I and 62 are identical in -form and are provided with iianges 63 secured by Screws 64 or other suitable fastening means tothe wall I2. Wheels 65, 66, 61, 68, 69, 16 and 1I are rotatably mounted on a shaft 12 which is supported at its `ends in brackets 13 and 'I4 which are secured by means of screws 15, 16 or other equivalent mounting means to the parts 6I and 62 .of the cylindrical casing 68. The wheels 6,5 and 66 are provided with letter characters on the rim lportion and may be manually rotated selectively to required position relative to openings 11 and 18 in the cylindrical casing 6D and s0 that the letter characters on the wheels 6,5 and 66 brought into view in the openings 11 and 13 will represent a combination of letters indicating the call letters of a desired substation. The letter characters on each Wheel and 6.6 ,are arranged in two semicircular groups, each group being a duplication of the other and so that when, for instance, wheel 65 is manually rotated to bring the letter A into View through the opening 11 outside the telephone booth, the letter A in the second group of letters Qn wheel 65 will also be in line to be observed through the aperture 18 in the casing 68 inside the telephone booth. The wheels 61, 68, 69, 10 and 1I are provided with number characters on their rim portions, the numbers being in two groups on each Wheel and so that the numbers on one semicircular portion are duplicates of those on the other semicircular portion. These wheels may be selectively rotated to bring into view through the apertures 11 and 18 in the casing `68 a combination of numbers forming the call number of a desired telephone substation. The wheels 65 to 1I, inclusive, are for the most part hidden from View by the casing 60 and the portions of the wheels observable through the aperture 11 may be masked by means of movable masks 19, 8IJ, 8|, 82, 83, 84 and 85, respectively. The masks 19 to 85, inclusive, are arcuately curved plates frictionally engaging the inner surface of the casing 6U and are individual to the Wheels 65 to 1I, inclusive. The masks are supported on arms 86 which are centrally pivoted on the shaft 12 and extend diametrically across the interior of the casing 68. A pair of arms 86 is provided for each wheel and each pair of arms carries a mask for the portion on the Wheel on the outside of the device and also a mask for the portion of the wheel on the inside of the device. There is, for instance, as shown in Fig. 5, a mask 19 supported on the arms 85 to cover the portion of the Wheel 65 observable through the aperture 11 on the outside of the booth and a mask 81 also supported on the pair of arms 86 to cover the portion of the Wheel 65 observable through the aperture 18 inside the booth. Tabs 88 and 89 respectively are provided for the masks 19 and When the tab 88 is moved to engage astop" 81. 90 provided on the casing '60 the mask 19 covers the aperture 11 and the mask 81 covers' the portion of the wheel 65 observable through the aperture 18. The mask 19 is in close frictional engagement with the inside of the casing 80 and is offset inwardly at 9| to snap over the edge of the aperture11 to hold`the`masks 19 and 81 in the closed position. The stop 90 is so formed that' it overlies the tab 88 and so that the mask 19 cannot well be moved from the closed position by a person outside the booth. The person inside the booth, however, may, by manual operation of the tab 89, move the mask 81 as shown in Fig. 5 to enable a person inside the booth to see the required portion of the wheel 65.

In operating the device shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, the user sets up the desired telephone substation letters and numbers on the wheels 65 to 1|, inclusive, each wheel being separately operated until the required character on that wheel is in line with a pointer 92 provided on the casing 60. When the required number has been set up on the wheels 65 to 1|, inclusive, the masks 19 to 85, inclusive, may be moved to cover the portions of the wheels observable through the aperture 11 outside the booth. When the user of the device is inside the booth and is ready to make the call he may unmask thev portion of the Wheel 65 observable through the aperture 18 inside the booth. In doing this he moves the mask 81 from across the aperture 18 and at the same time moves the mask 19 from across the aperture 11. The portions of the wheels to be viewed in reading the call number inside the booth are successively unmasked while the user of =the device is making the desired call. Another person outside the booth cannot disturb the number set up by the instant user of the device until the wheels are unmasked by the person inside the booth, since the oiset portion 9| on each mask on the outside portion of the device bears against the edge of the aperture 11 and prevents movement of the masks to obtain access to the wheels from outside the booth until the masks are moved to open position by the user of the dev-ice inside the booth. Also since the stop 90, as ab-ove mentioned, is constructed to overhang the tab 88 when the mask 19 is in closed position it would be diflicult for a person outside the booth to move the mask 19 from across the aperture 11. The same construction and arrangement is followed for each wheel in the device andthe mask arrangement provided therefor and the device is therefore more under the control of the instant user of the device than of a person outside the booth and trying to obtain control of the device while it is in use by another person inside the booth.

In the number indicating device shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7 the wheels are arranged so that the number set up on the wheels will be read from top to bottom. In this construction a single set of letterand number wheels is provided side the booth and the'other'set ofwheels to be operated inside the booth by means of the first set. Each wheel carries a single set of letter or number characters.

As shown in Figs. 8, 9 and l0, the wall I2 of the booth is apertured lat 93 to accommodate the number indicating device which is arranged in a vertical position so that the letters and numbers may be read from top to bottom. The casing 94 comprises an outer half portion 95 and an inner half portion 96 provided with edge flanges 91 secured by means of screws 98 or other suitable fastening means to the wall |2 and so that the two parts of the casing 94 cooperate to form a suitable housing for the two sets of letter and number wheels employed in the construction. The portion 95 of the casing S4 is apertured at 99 to permit manual operation of the set of wheels housed in this portion of the casing and to permit observance of the letter and number characters on the wheels in this portion of the device. The portion 96 of the casing 94 is apertured at |00 to permit observance of the letter and numberwheels housed in the portion 96 of the casing and from inside the booth. The set of wheels in the portion 95 comprises the letter wheels |0|, |02 and the number Wheels |03, |04, |05, |06 yand |01. A ring gear |08 is provided on each letter and number Wheel and each ring gear |08 on the outer set of wheels is gear-connected to a corresponding ring gear |09 on the inner set of wheels by means of a pinion ||0. The wheels |0| to |01 which are operable vfrom outsidethe boo-th are individually gear-connected through their ring gears |08, pinions ||0 and the ring gears |09 to a corresponding set of wheels to l |1 which are observable from inside the booth, the pinions ||0 being rotatably supported on a shaft |8 located between the two sets of wheels and supported on frame plates ||9 and |20 which are supported in the casing 94 by means of the screws or other suitable fastening means |2I. The wheels |0| to 01 are rotatably supported on a shaft |22 and the wheels to ||1 are rotatably supported on akshaft |23. When the wheels |0| to |01 are operated to set up a combination of letters and number characters representing the call letters and numbers of a desired substation, the wheels. II'I `to ||1 will be automatically operated to setup the same combination of lettersfand numbers and which may be observed by the user of the device by looking through the aperture |00 in the portion of the casing 94 located inside the. booth. Although I have not shown mask devices for the letter and number wheels in the construction shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, it is obvious that mask devices might be provided for the wheels in somewhat the same manner as the mask devices provided in the construction shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7.

What is claimed is:

1. A number indicating device at a booth equipped substation comprising casing means mounted in an apertured wall of -said booth, apertured wall members in said casing means located inside and outside the booth, selectively operated number recording and exhibiting means mounted in said casing means and operable from inside and outside said booth through the apertures in said apertured Wall members in said casing means to record and exhibit the call number of a desired substation, the selected positions of said selectively operated number recording and exhibiting means being observable inside and outside said booth through the apertures in the apertured Wall members in said casing means,

and movable mask means operable to move across the apertures in the apertured wall members in said casing means to mask and unmask the numbers recorded on said device.

2. A number recording and indicating device at a booth equipped substation comprising an apertured Wall in a booth, casing means mounted in the apertured Wall of the booth, apertured wall members in said casing means extending inside and outside the booth, selectively operated slide-strips supported in said casing means and extending outside and inside said booth, said slide strips being arranged in coplanar and parallel relation and being operable and observable through the apertures in said apertured wall members, cards bearing letter and number characters, said cards being supported outside and inside the booth, and said slide-strips being operable relative to said cards and being comparable With said cards to indicate both outside and inside the booth a combination of characters representing the call designation of a desired substation.

3. A number recording and indicating device at a booth equipped substation comprising an apertured Wall of a booth, a box-like casing mounted in an apertured Wall of the booth and extending outside and inside the booth, said casing having apertures formed in the Walls of said casing outside and inside the booth, a set of selectively operated slide-strips supported in said casing and extending into portions of said casing lying outside and inside the booth, said slide strips being arranged in co-planar and parallel relation and being operable and observable through the apertures formed in said casing, a card mounted on said casing outside the booth and at an angle relative to said slide-strips, columns of characters displayed on said card, a duplicate of said card mounted on said casing inside the booth, said slide-strips being operable relative to said columns of characters on the cards to indicate outside and inside the booth the call designation of a substation it is desired to call, and a slide cover supported on said casing `and operable to mask settings of said slidestrips relative to said cards.

4. A number recording and indicating device at a booth equipped substation comprising apertured casing means mounted in an apertured wall of the booth, said casing means extending outside and inside the booth, a set of selectively operated wheels supported in said casing means and observable from outside and inside the booth through apertures in said casing means, Vsaid wheels bearing characters to be used in combination to indicate the call designation of a required substation, and movable masks for said Wheels operable across the apertures in said casing means to mask the numbers recorded on said device.

5. A number recording and indicating device at a booth equipped substation comprising apertured casing means mounted in an apertured wall of the booth, said casing means extending outside and inside the booth, a set of selectively operated Wheels supported in said casing means and observable from outside and inside the booth through apertures in said casing means, said Wheels bearing on their rim portions characters to be set up in combination by operation of said Wheels to indicate the call designation of a substation required by a user of the device, sets of` movable masks operating across the apertures in said casing means to mask the portions of said Wheels observable through the apertures in said casing means, and means on said masks and on said casing means cooperating to prevent undesired movement of said masks.

6. A number recording and indicating device at a booth equipped substation comprising apertured casing means mounted in an apertured wall of the booth, said casing means extending outside and inside the booth, a set of selectively operated Wheels supported in the portion of said casing means extending outside the booth, said wheels being observable and operable through an aperture in said casing means outside the booth and bearing characters on their rim portions to be set up in combination by operation of said Wheels to indicate the Ycall designation of a substation required by a user of the device, a second set of wheels like the rst set and mounted in the portion of said casing means extending inside the booth, said second set of Wheels being observable through an aperture in said casing means inside the booth and gear trains extending from the first set of wheels to the second set so that when the user of the device operates the rst set of wheels to set up the call designation of a desired substation the same call designation' will be set up on the other set of wheels and may be read inside the booth when the user of the device enters the booth.

'7. A telephone number indicating device for setting up and holding for observance, by a telephone user, the call number of a desired telephone substation comprising an apertured Wall of a telephone booth, casing means mounted in the apertured Wall of the telephone booth and having portions extending outside and inside the telephone booth and in line with the aperture formed in the wall of the telephone booth, aper tured Walls in said casing means, the apertures formed in the Walls of said casing means providing observance openings outside and inside the telephone booth, manually movable members arranged in the order of digits in a telephone call number and supported in said casing means and operable and observable through the observance v openings provided in said casing means both out- 

